Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland Coast
The ruins of this once magnificent medieval castle stand in one of the most breathtaking locations you will ever see. Built on a headland overlooking the North Sea, the castle lies within the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between the coastal villages of Embleton and Craster. If you visit Craster, you can follow the English Heritage sign and can walk along the coastal path through fields and up to the castle. The walk takes about half an hour at a leisurely pace and is well worth it, though you should be mindful of taking dogs with you because there are cattle who graze openly on the land.
From a distance the silhouette of the castle ruins looks like something from a movie set with its ragged edges standing out against the skyline but as you approach it you begin to realise how magnificent and imposing Dunstanburgh Castle must once have been to all who approached it.
The construction of the castle began in the early 14th century and was instigated by the then Earl of Lancaster (cousin to King Edward II) and took approximately 10 years to complete. It featured in the War Of The Roses in the early 1460s and suffered damaged which, not having been repaired, led to its eventual ruin. The artist J.M.W.Turner visited and painted Dunstanburgh Castle on numerous occasions - follow this link to view one of them.
Coastal Cottages Northumberland
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